An abandoned fox pup that has been cared for by Navy wildlife biologists was given a ceremonial send off Monday morning in Coronado before being transported to its new home at the Santa Barbara Zoo.

The infant pup, nicknamed Garth, was found near the side of the road on San Clemente Island by a worker about three months ago. It would have been unable to survive on its own, because the animal never learned basic survival skills, and it will not be returned to the wild, the Navy said.

The Santa Barbara Zoo has announced Garth will be its “Channel Island fox animal ambassador.”

The Channel Island fox is a state-protected species and is the largest mammal native to the island, the Navy said.

“The Santa Barbara Zoo is incredibly thrilled to continue partnering with the Navy to conserve the Channel Island Fox,” Sheri Horiszny, the zoo’s director of animal programs, said in a news release. “This young pup will serve as an ambassador for his species and for the entire California Channel Islands ecosystem, as he reaches hundreds of thousands of people with educational, fun messages.”